Hiding Place
by clair-de-neptune
Summary: Maleficent and Aurora discover a place that was made just for them...by them.
1. Chapter 1

The Moors were more than what they seemed to be, Maleficent knew.

The very land _itself _was magical. It did not stay stagnant and limp like the human kingdom, but rather it was _alive_ as if it was a massive creature. Over time, the Moors shifted and changed—new cliffs crept into the sky as others sunk down flat; great trees twisted up from the soil and spread their branches across the heavens like bark-covered veins; rivers and springs sprouted and flowed as some evaporated into dry carcass beds, waiting to be filled by new foliage.

Most of all, Maleficent knew that the Moors changed based on the emotions of the fae-folk that lived in them. Thorns prickled under her skin as she remembered how her reckless lust for revenge and blind rage had affected the land. Being the most powerful faery, her sudden burst of anger and sorrow had caused darkness to blanket the Moors practically overnight for sixteen long, terrible years.

If a simple sprite had grown upset, a flower or two may have withered away; when someone as great as Maleficent had been thrown into emotional turmoil, the entire land suffered.

It left a very foul taste in her mouth at the thought of it.

But now…now was different. Peace had been restored to both the human kingdom and the Moors through Aurora, and it seemed as though the past was nothing but a dream. Both lands radiated with an indescribable light that only Aurora could bring, and for the first time in many years, Maleficent felt _happy._

However, she noticed something else.

Physical change in the Moors took hundreds, if not thousands of years. New cliffs and trees and rivers did not appear overnight and evolved very, very slowly into a new piece of the land. So when Maleficent wandered into an area she was suddenly not familiar with, perplexity caught at the corners of her thoughts.

A segment of rock had formed as an addition to a massive cliff face, curving down to the ground, creating a massive arch covered in moss and tiny plants of many different colors. Directly under the arch, a hot spring bubbled up from the ground, but no water nymphs or river sprites occupied the surface. It seemed very…

_…private._

Bushes rustled softly behind her, and Maleficent didn't have to turn around to know it was Aurora's light steps that padded against the earth. Her wings twitched in recognition of her presence, but otherwise Maleficent did not verbally greet her. She was still befuddled by the new structure that had seemed to appear overnight.

The faery's brow creased as she contemplated the situation. The only way such a magnificent formation could have created itself overnight was if—

A hand rested on her arm, and Maleficent was jerked out of her thoughts. She turned her horned head to see deep blue eyes studying her carefully, and her wings fluttered involuntarily as a warm shiver rolled down her spine. She often forgot what just _eye contact_ with Aurora could do to her.

"When did it get here?" Aurora asked quietly, knowing exactly what the faery was thinking. Aurora had been the Queen of both kingdoms for about five years now, and she had rapidly become familiar with how the Moors worked.

Maleficent shook her head. "I don't know. Nothing has ever appeared this suddenly, except for when—" She didn't want to continue. The pain of even speaking of it was too great.

"It's beautiful."

A sigh escaped the faery's lips. Aurora's words were always simple, but carried so much with them. Purity. Goodness. _Respite_.

Small, delicate fingers laced themselves with her long, slender ones. "Come on," the Queen giggled, "let us explore it!"

Golden-green eyes rolled and a small laugh fell across Maleficent's lips as she was dragged by Aurora. _She may be a Queen_, Maleficent thought with a smile, _but she is still just as adventurous as she was when she was small._

They ran—well, _Aurora _ran and Maleficent took long strides—closer to the massive arch of rock, and they neared the spring—

Aurora stopped in her tracks, and so did Maleficent.

The Queen inhaled audibly as she squeezed Maleficent's hand tighter. "Do you _feel _that?" she breathed.

Maleficent _did_.

She wasn't sure how it felt for Aurora, but _gods, _every fiber of magic in her body suddenly burst aflame and raced like wildfire all throughout her veins. It was as if she had a _connection _to this place, like she was _tied _to it—

Was _she _the one that had created this?

No. It couldn't have been just her, if Aurora felt it too—

Maleficent blinked. _Aurora felt it too._

"It's like…" Aurora whispered, "…it's like we're _part_ of it."

Maleficent's wings shuddered. _We._

The revelation Maleficent barreled its way into her thoughts. This place—beautiful and _secluded_—had finally emerged as a physical manifestation of _both _of their emotions.

Beautiful.

_ Secluded._

Maleficent could only squeeze Aurora's hand in reply.

"It…" the Queen turned around to face Maleficent, picking up the faery's other hand and tracing the pads of her thumbs over her knuckles, blue eyes wide with wonder. "It feels _amazing_."

And it _did_. It was as if the overwhelming stimulation of the magic further amplified the warm shivers that shot up her arms from Aurora's gentle touch. She managed a small nod as she tried to even out a shaky breath.

Aurora's gaze travelled over the magnificent landscape, fully taking it all in, and then settled on Maleficent. The faery's trembled as hot fire shot down her pulse, and she closed her eyes for just a moment in a feeble attempt to compose herself.

_She was never this vulnerable. She never became undone this easily._

A silent gasp stuck in her mouth as a warm heat pressed against her entire front, and soft touches crept up her back, towards the sensitive joints of her wings. Maleficent felt Aurora's forehead press against her shoulder, and golden strands of hair curtained Aurora's face. A quiet whisper melted against her skin, its words weaving through her veins and to her heart. "_We_ made this, didn't we?"

Maleficent carefully wrapped her arms around the Queen's waist and took in everything _Aurora. _She inhaled the scent of _flowers _and _sweetness _and _honey _while her skin tingled as Aurora exhaled warm puffs of air that diffused across chest. She reached a hand into golden strands of hair and lost her fingers in them as she pulled Aurora closer.

The faery willed her breathing to be even. "Yes."

Maleficent and Aurora had been very aware of their feelings for each other for the past few years—they often expressed it in simple ways: through an intimate touch on the shoulder or the arm, a small kiss on the brow or cheek (sometimes on closed eyelids too), snuggling close together when night blanketed the sky, or with soft-spoken words that hinted at a much greater love—but they were content and pleased with their displays of affection, nonetheless. It was gentle, soft—_tentative_—but now they stood in an actual _physical representation_ of their emotions towards each other, and it stunned them both. Neither could hide behind cautious touches or meek gestures when such a grand manifestation of their love stood before them.

At the faery's answer, nails dug slightly through Maleficent's robes and into her back, just under the joints of her wings. Shuddering and heaving a shaky breath, Maleficent pulled away a bit, and the hand that rested in Aurora's hair moved forward to gently cup the Queen's cheek. Aurora leaned in to her palm with a small sigh, eyes fluttering closed.

It stayed like that for a while, with only the quiet gurgling of the hot spring and the rustling of the wind weaving through trees to fill in the lack of words. Somewhere else in the Moors, a pod of air wyrms screeched and rumbled calls to each other.

Everything seemed so very, very far away in this place.

Maleficent was jerked back into reality when warm lips pressed against her palm, and deep azure irises gazed at her intently, glinting with something Maleficent had never seen cross Aurora's eyes before.

_Desire._


	2. Chapter 2

Aurora had never experienced such an intense _ache _for Maleficent until now.

She wasn't sure how Maleficent felt at the moment, since faeries generally didn't passionately _feel_ in great bursts like humans did, but she did know that Maleficent loved her—through the soft, intimate touches; though the small, chaste kisses; through the closeness that they shared in the magical nights of the Moors, and most of all, through the soft-spoken words that revealed a greater affection. And this _ache_, this _longing_—she knew that it declared Maleficent's name, but she wanted something _more_ as well; it was something so perplexing that she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

Her skin tingled with warmth as the faery cupped her cheek tenderly. _This _was part of it, the odd awakeningof her senses. She seemed hypersensitive to everything _Maleficent_: her smooth, rich, silk-like voice; her beautiful porcelain skin; her intense, golden-green eyes rimmed with magic; her scent of the earth and wind and sweet blackberries; her full, ruby lips; her grand, powerful wings; and most of all, her _presence._

Except now, she _wanted _something of those things. Aurora gently gripped Maleficent's wrist as these things flooded her mind—

—to hear that smooth richness say _her _name—

—to see and feel that beautiful porcelain skin flush against her own—

—to lock gazes with those intense, golden-green eyes looking up at her—

—to feel enveloped by the scent of earth and wind and blackberries—

—to know how those ruby lips felt upon her own—

—to have those grand, powerful wings enfold her in a tender embrace—

—and most of all, to _feel _Maleficent's presence with her, and for Maleficent to _feel _hers as well.

But what _were _these things, and how could Aurora voice them? And how did she know that Maleficent felt the same? _If _she felt the same? And if she _did _find a way to explain them, and if Maleficent did not reciprocate these things, wouldn't she feel a fool? Wouldn't it ruin the quiet intimacy that they already shared? The Queen took a deep breath and pressed her lips to the faery's palm in an attempt to communicate this overwhelming _longing_ that she could not describe, and to quell the thoughts that ran rampant in her mind.

Aurora heard Maleficent's wings shudder in an immediate response to this gesture, and she opened her eyes to find the faery studying her intently. Wrapping her fingers around Maleficent's wrist a bit tighter, she searched the faery's eyes and tried to tell her without having to say the words—tried to tell her how much she _wanted_, how much she _ached._

And there she saw it—a small flicker of recognition darted across the faery's irises, laced with…what was that? Surprise? Maleficent's wings began to stretch, but hesitated and twitched as though contemplating something.

Being here in this secluded place didn't help either. It was as though everything Aurora felt for Maleficent amplified over and over again, and all of the emotions for her that had stayed relatively hidden over the past five years expressed themselves in full bloom as beautiful flowers and foliage. _In fact,_ Aurora thought, _this whole place is perhaps a metaphor._

A silk-like voice drew her away from those thoughts. "What is it, beastie?"

The dreaded question reached her ears, and in her mind, Aurora began to panic. She couldn't lie to Maleficent, never. She didn't think she _could_ lie about these feelings anyway; they were much too intense to speak falsely of, but she didn't know how to say it, either. How could she tell Maleficent of this _longing_ without putting their quiet intimacy at risk?

Aurora took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I don't know, I…" She trailed off and bit her lip in deliberation, attempting to muster the courage (and the words) to express herself. "I don't know _how_—_if_ I can tell you."

Maleficent's slender fingers traced lines up and down Aurora's arm. "You can tell me anything, beastie, you know this," the faery said soothingly. "If something is on your heart and you wish to say it, I will listen as best I can with pointy faery-ears."

Aurora opened her eyes with a giggle to see a small smile touch Maleficent's face. _Oh, her smile! _Just the sight of it made Aurora's heart swell and—

—_oh, her _lips_._

_ That's _how.

Deep ocean blue locked with golden-green. "I do not think I need words," Aurora murmured as she tucked a stray lock of long brown hair behind Maleficent's ear and touched it lightly, "It is not meant for ears to hear."

Maleficent parted her lips slightly to respond, but Aurora seized them in a gentle kiss. Eyelids fluttered closed, and Aurora felt Maleficent lean into her and return the kiss softly; the long, slender hand that touched Aurora's arm grasped it, trembling. Aurora squeezed the faery's wrist to steady herself as her entire body shook with the simple, quiet intensity of taking in _Maleficent._ She loved _this_—feeling her pale pink lips upon Maleficent's crimson red ones. Delicate hands encircled the faery's waist, and she pulled away tentatively, cheeks rosy with shyness.

"It is meant to be felt," Aurora finished quietly, her gaze falling to her feet sheepishly.

Maleficent did not respond for a few moments, but Aurora was too diverted by the sudden augmentation of the ache. The kiss did nothing to rid herself of it, but rather made it grow larger, more _demanding_. It sent fire all throughout her body and, most distractedly, _southward. _

She bit the inside of her cheek—she desired _more—_a relief from this _longing_—a _release._

Willowy fingers tenderly grasped Aurora's chin and directed the Queen's gaze to her Protector. "Is this what you desire?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper, wings twitching uncontrollably.

Azure eyes shined, and a steady voice replied, "Only if you want it, too."

Maleficent craned her head in slowly and brushed her nose against Aurora's, fingers angling the Queen's mouth to her own. "Then let no more words be spoken," she murmured, blood red lips ghosting over light pink, "and only let the heart's voice be heard."


	3. Chapter 3

She was going to admit—Maleficent was not exceptionally talented in the art of love, or love-making.

Not that she _knew_ of, anyway.

She and Stefan had never gone farther than kissing, and judging from the _definitely_-not-ignorable tingling that raced all over her body, this was most probably going to go further than simply _kissing._

_Much _further.

It wasn't that she didn't _want _it to. It was the fact that she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to please Aurora. That she wouldn't know _how _to please her. To be quite frank, Maleficent hadn't thought of anything like this until now, but it wasn't like she was completely uneducated on what spots to touch, or how to execute certain actions…

It was the doubting of herself that worried her, and for that, she wanted to go slowly.

The faery was fully aware that Aurora knew many things about her, almost _everything_ in fact, but there was one thing among a handful that the Queen did not know:

When it came to intimacy, Maleficent was very, very shy.

And even though this place was extremely secluded, she was still wary of prying eyes. "Come," she whispered against Aurora's cheek (which flushed when her breath brushed against it, she noticed), "follow me."

Wordlessly, Aurora followed Maleficent's lead as they walked under the massive arch of rock. Neither of them minded the lack of conversation; it signaled an unspoken trust between them, _or maybe Aurora is nervous? _Maleficent thought apprehensively, _gods, what if she's just as nervous as I am? And she's probably expecting me to take the lead, because I'm older, obviously, so I would have more experience, but I _don't, _and—_

She tried to make her deep breath as quiet and unnoticeable as possible as she closed her eyes hard. When did she let such uneasiness overwhelm her thoughts like this? That question only raised _more _questions, and she would be lying if she said she didn't want to do this, it was just that—

A familiar, delicate weight rested on her shoulder, and the warmth from Aurora's hands seeped down into her bones. She exhaled a small sigh of relief as her unusually muddled thoughts melted away like snow. Then the faery realized that they had been standing still for a few seconds too long, and a red wave spread across her cheeks and singed the tips of her pointed ears.

_Gods above, _Maleficent thought while keeping her eyes closed, too embarrassed to turn to Aurora, _I feel like such a fool._

Which was an odd notion, considering Maleficent was the strong, powerful Protector of the Moors—but even the greatest of faeries can have their moments.

She squeezed the Queen's hand in an attempt to convey everything she felt without having to speak the words aloud. She hated that—having to admit these kinds of things verbally, and she hoped that Aurora would somehow understand her silent confession.

And Aurora _did_ understand in that strange way that she always did, no matter what the situation. Maleficent suddenly found Aurora facing her, clasping both of her hands as she hid her golden-green gaze under long lashes. Her wings twitched involuntarily out of nervousness, and she found small fingers immediately grazing her feathers to soothe her. Maleficent sighed inwardly; this never failed to calm her, and she slowly unfurled one wing to allow Aurora's pale hand more access.

Aurora's physical acts of love were always sudden. Maleficent shuddered again as Aurora tugged her into a full embrace, hands creeping up behind the faery to stroke the backs of her wings. She hummed and touched the feathers with cautious care.

Aurora's physical acts of love were always sudden, yes—but they had a quiet suddenness about them. They were small and sudden, soft and sudden—not too much or too little for the situation.

In fact, they were so sudden that you could be quickly eased into them without difficulty, without shock, without discomfort. There was no…_hesitance _with these acts.

They came so easily to Aurora, like breathing—and it always seemed to be just the right thing Maleficent needed.

_Like right now, _the faery thought, _all I need her to do is hold me and reassure me I'm not a complete and utter fool—_

Everything in Maleficent's mind froze when Aurora's fingers, damn those clever little things, brushed lightly against the joints of her wings, where they connected to her shoulders.

Little jolts of lightning sparked all over her body, and for a few moments, Maleficent was overwhelmed and completely incapable of forming even a single coherent thought.

Her great wings flinched.

Aurora's fingers stroked their bases again with a bit more purpose, tracing little patterns through the small, soft feathers.

Not that Maleficent could tell what those patterns were, anyways. The faery couldn't move, save for the uncontrollable shivering of her wings.

Her breathing grew ragged and audible as the Queen continued her gentle (but steadily growing) pursuit, and she finally managed to rasp in warning, _"Aurora—"_

"Hmm?" Aurora responded almost lazily, obviously ignoring Maleficent's tone of caution. As if to make her point, she pressed her body a bit harder against Maleficent's front, causing the faery to stifle a gasp.

_"Aurora,"_ Maleficent croaked again, but it was hardly convincing; she was helpless in the clutches of Aurora and _gods, how could she become so powerless by those damned fingers?_

To both her disappointment and relief, the Queen withdrew her hands and placed one on Maleficent's shoulder, and cupped the faery's cheek with the other. She chuckled at the sight of Maleficent's face tinged with pink and unconsciously ran the pad of her thumb over a sharp cheekbone. "I had to distract you," she murmured, concern flecking her eyes, "I could tell you were worried." When Maleficent didn't respond immediately, she pressed gently, "Are you afraid?"

"I am not afraid," was the reply, and for a moment in time, a Protector and a Queen returned to a night in the Moors, where a girl, nearly sixteen, met a faery who she barely knew, and a faery, filled with anger and hatred, who barely knew herself.

But Aurora knew better, and Maleficent knew this. "You said to let the heart's voice be heard," Aurora whispered, and rested the side of her head against Maleficent's chest. They were both listening to Maleficent's heart beating—the faery could hear it thumping in her ears—and she was sure that the Queen could hear it racing from behind her ribcage.

"You are perfect to me," Aurora breathed, and the words sunk deep into Maleficent's bones—past her bones, and into something that was not physical.

That was all she said. That was all she had to say. Those five words washed away any apprehension that crept around the corners of Maleficent's mind, cleansed her of any doubt, and chased away any fear that shadowed her.

Aurora never spoke with great complexity. Whatever she wished to say was said in such simple eloquence that it was worth much more than something spoken with long, detailed intricacy. Perhaps it was worth more because it could be easily remembered. Perhaps it was because those great, simple things amassed to something much more than a massive web of words.

Perhaps it was because she was _Aurora_, and nothing more.

_Let the heart's voice be heard._

Long, slender fingers gently guided Aurora's head off of her chest, and, without hesitation, without apprehension, Maleficent pressed her lips against the—_her _Queen's. As the faery's cool hands slipped to Aurora's waist, pulling them closer together, the kiss deepened; Maleficent reveled in the impossible softness of Aurora's lips. She tasted like the sweetness of the summer wind, and of red, red roses, and of golden honey, and just _faintly_ of tart berries, and—

_—oh—_

Aurora's tongue ran slowly over Maleficent's bottom lip—an inquiry for entrance—and Maleficent shuddered with anticipation as she allowed Aurora in—

_Gods—!_

Maleficent pinched Aurora's waist as a low moan slipped into the air. Who it came from, neither knew; both were too overwhelmed with the sensation of warm exploration: tongues and hands and kisses and lips and _feeling _was all they could comprehend, all they could think of.

And suddenly, Maleficent became hyper-aware of how in _need _she was. How she _needed _Aurora's clothes _off_, how she _needed _to feel bare skin—the _need _demanded all of this as a powerful throb that thudded in what felt like every single vein, artery—even down to the tiniest of all capillaries—

_Control_, Maleficent told herself. _Control—_

Two fingers lightly grazed the side of Maleficent's breast, and an uneven gasp escaped the faery's mouth as she leaned into the contact, silently cursing. _Damned little clever things, sneaking up on me like that!_

Aurora's hands had managed to slip under Maleficent's robe, and now they swept over her torso, alternating between lightly grazing and purposefully pressing down. Her fingers danced across bare skin as they mapped out the swells of Maleficent's chest, touching gently as they traveled down the valley between her breasts, and then arcing out over her ribs, pressing down harder as her palms slid against the faery's sides, but just as quickly as they applied pressure, they relented—instead choosing to trace tiny circles on Maleficent's sharp hips.

And during all of this, Maleficent could not move, completely and utterly possessed by such simple contact. _Aurora thinks _I _have magic,_ Maleficent thought as the throbbing amplified, _if she can leave me totally useless under her fingers, that's magic on its own._

"_Aurora_," she finally managed, even though it came out as a cracked whisper, "I…"

Another mischievously lazy hum from the Queen. She tapped the tips of her fingers against the faery's sides. "Hmm?"

Body screaming for more, Maleficent drew back reluctantly and met Aurora's eyes, which shone with a hint of concern, even if they were darkened by lust. Gods, who knew her blue eyes could look beautiful even when they smoldered with _want? _Her wings twitched. _Control._

Because Maleficent knew if she didn't keep control, she could hurt Aurora unintentionally…but Aurora wasn't making it easy.

"I don't want to harm you," she admitted, "and I've never—I mean, I—" she stammered (which was rare; it was Maleficent's nature to be constantly smooth and composed), but Aurora waited patiently, "—I've never done _this_, and I don't know what I might do—"

A hand retreated from under her robes, and a single finger pressed gently against crimson red lips. "Maleficent," Aurora said softly, "I'm not a glass doll that needs to be carefully handled." She withdrew her finger from Maleficent's lips and tenderly placed a kiss on the faery's collarbone. "I won't break."

"Beastie, I don't know—"

"—and I don't either." Aurora lifted her gaze to Maleficent's again. "But I _do _know that I will not be harmed by you, because I know you would _never_ harm me. And," her voice suddenly dropped huskily, "I know you want _this _as much as I do."

Maleficent took a deep, uneven breath, and her hands pinched Aurora's waist again.

"Sometimes," Aurora whispered, something _raw_ and most definitely _impish_ lacing her tone, "you've got to grab what you want by the horns…"

And then, true to her word, Aurora grabbed Maleficent's horns, tugged her head down to hers, and kissed with such primal, fervent passion that it had Maleficent reeling all over again.

And it triggered something that could not be undone.

Maleficent didn't care anymore—she wasn't going to hold back. With a throaty growl, she threw Aurora against the smooth, cold wall of rock and seized both of the Queen's wrists, pulled her hands off of her horns, and pinned them over Aurora's head, who squeaked with pleasant surprise. A devilish smirk tugged at the corners of Maleficent's mouth, and she dipped down to mark the delicate, sweet skin of Aurora's neck—she sucked at the tender flesh until she saw it turn red, and then soothed it with a kiss; she sought out the Queen's pulse with her tongue and pressed against it, smiling as Aurora tipped her head back to allow the faery more access; she raked her teeth down and bit gently on Aurora's shoulder, all while she soaked in every delicious sound that slipped out of Aurora's throat.

And when Maleficent's thigh slid in between Aurora's legs, a long moan echoed off of the arch of stone, and the throbbing inside of Maleficent grew so intense that she was sure that she couldn't even hear her own thoughts anymore.

The faery stopped her assault on the Queen's neck (much to Aurora's dismay, Maleficent noted at the Queen's whine) and murmured, "Do you like this dress in particular?"

"No," Aurora panted, "I don't care. I have more." Another few deep breaths, and Maleficent tried to focus her attention _away _from Aurora's hips rocking against her thigh. Finally, Aurora managed, "Why?"

Momentarily, Maleficent released her grip on Aurora's small wrists, clutched the fabric of Aurora's dress at her chest, and ripped it apart, the tear making a jagged path down Aurora's torso. She pulled the remains of the top of the torn dress over Aurora's shoulders, exposing them completely, and watched with satisfaction as it dropped limply on the ground, leaving the Queen in, well…

Nothing. No undergarments.

_Nothing._

Maleficent quirked a brow at this, but wasn't complaining (she vaguely remembered Aurora once mentioning that ladies undergarments were uncomfortable). Her gaze swept over Aurora's bare figure and took in the ethereal, pale _beauty _of her. Everything about Aurora was composed of gentle, graceful curves—very opposite of her own body—but it _fit_.

The thought that Maleficent had this, _all_ of _this_, all of Aurora to herself—a broad smile spread across her face. It couldn't be real.

But it _was _real. She deserved so much less than this; in fact, she deserved nothing at all after what she had done,

but here they stood, and here they were.


	4. Chapter 4

"Not fair," Aurora whimpered.

Golden-green eyes flickered up to her face. "What is it?"

She gestured to her bare body. "I'm like this, and you're…" The Queen bunched a bit of Maleficent's robe into her fist to emphasize her point.

A dark chuckle bounced off of the walls of the rock, and slender fingers rose into the air, golden magic tumbling off of their tips, but Aurora reached out and grabbed Maleficent's wrist, who was prepared to disrobe herself with a wave of her hand.

"No," Aurora said, and the golden magic dissipated. Maleficent peered at Aurora curiously, whose fingers crept up around the collar of her robes. "I want to do it."

Aurora felt the faery shudder under her hands at this request, and she took this as a signal to continue. Slowly, she opened the robe and pushed it back over Maleficent's shoulders, revealing a smooth expanse of skin. Swirls of gold danced behind the faery as the cloth pulled itself over Maleficent's great wings (Aurora was grateful—it would've taken too long to pull the fabric over them), and evaporated into the air once it was finished.

The robe pooled around Maleficent's feet, and Aurora inhaled audibly.

Everything about Maleficent was a wonderful blend of smooth curves—_her breasts, her sides, her legs_—and sharp, jutting edges—_her cheekbones, her jaw, her hips_—

And something different, too.

Hundreds of tiny, iridescent black scales grew in lovely curling patterns that peeked over Maleficent's shoulders (_they must continue on her back_, Aurora thought) and winded symmetrically across her abdomen and around her sides, just over her hips.

Aurora compared them to the rest of Maleficent's porcelain-like skin. _A perfect combination of smoothness and roughness._

"Faeries are a bit different than humans," Maleficent murmured, her voice laced with a bit of self-consciousness, "do you…do you not like them?"

"Maleficent, they're _beautiful_," Aurora breathed, and she felt the faery's relief. With a light chuckle, she looked up. "Why wouldn't I like them?"

"Most humans tend to dislike things that they are not familiar with." Red lips tweaked into a small smile. "But you are not most humans."

"No, I guess not," Aurora laughed. "May I touch them?"

The faery nodded, and Aurora's fingers delicately grazed over the direction the scales grew, following the thin, intricately coiling patterns. Their texture was oddly delightful.

A stifled whimper caught her attention. Blue eyes flicked upwards to see Maleficent's multicolored irises turned mostly gold with desire. She smiled impishly. "Are they sensitive?"

Maleficent only bit her lower lip and casted her gaze down.

_Good to know_, Aurora thought mischievously, and pressed her lips against a pointed ear. "Now you've had your fun," she whispered, "two can play this game."

Maleficent had little time to react. Aurora side-stepped away from her and grabbed the faery's waist, and pushed her against the rock so that her back was facing the Queen. A mockingly frustrated growl and a light laugh intertwined in the air.

Wings twitched in anticipation. "What are you planning, little beastie?"

If Maleficent could move, she would've, but Aurora knew she had her pinned well against the cool rock by her waist. Another little wicked laugh bubbled into the air, and Aurora occupied her fingers with the curling patterns of scales that ran across the entirety of Maleficent's shoulder blades. "_You'll see._"

A quiet moan slithered from the faery's throat. Aurora took that as a good sign.

She knelt down and placed a kiss in the curve of the faery's lower back, hands hovering dangerously close to the coiling scales on Maleficent's abdomen. Another whimper. Aurora smiled.

Torturously, Aurora brushed her lips up Maleficent's spine, slowly standing to follow the path, and when she neared her upper back, she let the tip of her tongue taste pale skin while gently dragging the pads of her fingers over the scales—she was rewarded with a loud gasp and a fuller moan.

Finally, Aurora reached the base of Maleficent's wings, but she did not lift her tongue from the faery's back; no, she had a _much_ better plan. She flattened her tongue and painted a broad, long stripe on the sensitive skin in between her wings, and simultaneously pressed down hard on the abdominal scales that her fingers were previously grazing lightly.

The sound Maleficent made was so deliciously arousing that Aurora faltered.

It was something in the middle of a husky cry and a deep, raw growl—Aurora really couldn't tell, and she was pretty sure that humans weren't capable of creating such a noise, but one thing she _did _know:

She wanted to hear more of it.

Hands suddenly seized her hips, and in a great blur Aurora was shoved to the ground with Maleficent above her. She had barely any time to gasp before Maleficent's lips took hers, and when the faery's entire front pressed flush against her own, she couldn't help but claw frantically at Maleficent's back as she arched into the contact—allowing her to feel the slightly rough scales that brushed against her abdomen.

Aurora was throbbing _everywhere _now; the sheer _need_ was growing too damn overwhelming. She whimpered in an attempt to communicate this to Maleficent, whose hands were traveling feverishly over her body.

"_Lower,_" the Queen rasped, and Maleficent obeyed, willowy fingers descending lower, past her hips, until—

Aurora choked on a gasp and dug her nails into the faery's back. A single finger brushed against her entrance, but it did not go in.

"Aurora," Maleficent murmured, and in this moment of extreme stillness, they both realized how heavily they were breathing. "This will be uncomfortable at first."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I know."

It was, for the first moment or two—Aurora grunted and tried to release her breath steadily as Maleficent slowly began. It wasn't _painful_, just…_invasive. _Maleficent distracted her away from the foreign feeling with kisses down her neck, on her ears, her lips, and _gods_ that searing twist of heat was beginning to build up in her abdomen again—it rolled around in tight coils, begging to be released—

Since when were her legs wrapped around Maleficent? She flung her arms down to the ground and fisted the grass, then flew back up and scraped at the faery's back, searching for something, _anything _to hold onto. Her chest heaved upwards. "Maleficent_—god!_"

The finger inside her slipped out, and was replaced by two.

"_Please!_" It came out as a broken whisper. All discomfort at the beginning was forgotten; Aurora was so completely surrounded by a foggy haze of total _pleasure _that it was all she could feel. She couldn't tell where her body began and ended; she couldn't tell where Maleficent's body pressed against hers, and where hers pressed against Maleficent's; all she knew was _this _moment, and that she was about to—

The hands that grasped desperately at the faery's back shot under her wings and clutched her shoulder blades, palms wide and flat against the thin swirls of scales, pulling Maleficent closer as she cried out the faery's name. The pleasure suddenly unfurled in waves throughout her body as she rocked her hips; eyelids fluttered closed and she was _sure _her eyes rolled to the back of her head, towards the bright sparks that exploded in the darkness. She cried out again when she felt Maleficent stiffen in her arms and that husky, throaty cry ripped through the air, hundreds of times louder than when she first heard it—and she barely registered the sensation of teeth sinking into her shoulder, or of five nails scratching down her chest—because _gods, _it was so _much_ she couldn't control _anything _anymore.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed after that moment of heightened pleasure, but when they finally came down, Maleficent collapsed with an audible exhale on top of Aurora, wings still trembling with aftershocks of her climax.

"Aurora," the faery said breathlessly, "you have…you have to take your hands off of my shoulders." She took another couple of deep breaths. "I can't relax unless you're not touching my scales."

The Queen removed her hands and settled for lightly stroking up and down the faery's back instead. "Maleficent?"

"Yes?"

"I'm having a little trouble breathing with you completely on top of me."

If Maleficent's face could get any more flushed, it did (Aurora noted when she was especially embarrassed, the tips of her pointed ears turned bright red), and she rolled off of Aurora and into the cool blades of grass. Her golden-green gaze swept over Aurora's glowing figure, and she froze upon seeing all the marks on the Queen's body. "Oh, Aurora," she murmured nervously, reaching out to tentatively touch a few particularly deep indents on her shoulder, and then down to five bright red streaks that stood out against Aurora's pale skin, "did I hurt you?"

Aurora smiled. "No, Maleficent." She scooted closer to the faery, entwining her legs with Maleficent's and nestling her head against the faery's chest. "In fact," she placed a soft kiss on Maleficent's collarbone and chuckled, "I liked it. A _lot_."

She didn't wait for an answer. Her arms snaked around Maleficent's waist, and they rested in the afterglow, letting the world continue to walk by them—the birds chirped from a distance (perhaps Diaval was among them); the bugs rubbed their wings together and created odd, lovely sounds; the trees danced in the wind, rustling as coils of air wove between their branches.

With her mind clear and awake, a thought from earlier made its way to Aurora's mental pondering. _This whole place is perhaps a metaphor._

Her deep blue eyes swept over the massive arch of rock that they rested under. Their love was _solid_, unmovable in even the strongest of storms, but it was not a looming barrier; it supported things and let people through.

The quiet, reserved bubbling of the spring filled the silence between them. Their love was _cleansing_, like water, and renewing. It brought _life_.

And everywhere around them, lovely shrubs, flowers, and trees twisted upward from the ground—their love was _beautiful_, admired by all who saw it.

Their love was part of the Moors, Aurora realized as she snuggled closer to Maleficent, and was always changing—never staying stagnant or boring, constantly morphing, growing—and most importantly, it was forever _alive_.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey all! I guess Maleficent finally came out of her shell, huh? [laughing] I hope you guys liked Hiding Place - I'm using past tense because some of you are saying in the comments that you're excited for an update, and as much as I know you all want more mind-blowing sex between these two (and fluff, can't forget about that wonderful, squishy fluff), I've decided to end the story here. If you scroll up a little and look at the story description, you can see it's even officially marked as 'complete'. So...yeah. Sorry about that. But I've got some exciting stuff up my sleeve! Hopefully, you'll be seeing some of that very soon :D


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